Are energy gels supposed to be nasty?

I've never heard of gulp-n-go, so I can't comment on that. The first one I ever tried was powergel, which was like paste, really horrible stuff.  Then I went to hammer gel, which is somewhere between a jelly and syrup consistency. That's mainly what I've been using, and yes, I do mix it in with water for some rides.  There's quite a variety of tastes/consistencies out there, just have to do some experimentation to try to find one that seems to work for you.

Yep, gels scientifically formulated to be the consistency of snot.

I use CarbBoom (tasty!) and HammerGels (not so tasty, but easy to get down) because they are a little thinner and I can breathe and take the gel at the same time.

I think bear meant if you're going to mix gel & water, why not just drink a sports drink.  But I think the answer is that you don't mix a gel into 16oz. of water.  You use only a few oz. in order to get it down easier (the same as you would if you took the gel and then washed it down with a few oz. of water).  This way you get cals/carbs without having to guzzle a lot of fluid.

I actually don't mind most gels I've tried so far (a few flavors have been tough) even if I have to "chew" it a bit to get it down.

There's tons of different gels out there each with their own consistency, flavors, and energy input.  For one of the BT articles, I had the opportunity to try out a pretty good variety of some of the major gels out there.  Some have the consistency of peanut butter, some like bad jello, and others are pretty liquidy.  Experiment around until you find one that you like.  I'd say with a 2 1/2 hour run, you definitely need some sort of extra calories so that you don't bonk.

In all cases though, you gotta chase the gel with some type of liquid.  A majority of the time, I've done water, but I've had no issues with sports drinks either.  I've only taken a gel without a chaser 2 seperate times, and each time was a gutbomb.  I disagree with the statement that the gels mixed with sports drink gives you too many calories that your body can absorb.  Gels are normally only 120 calories - pretty much all of it in the form of maltodextrin.  Sports drinks are normally all simple sugars (fructose, sucrose, etc) and provide another 120-200 calories per 8oz or so.

Gulp 'n Go Orange was one of my least favorites - not sure if the additinal herbal components in that stuff was good for me or not, but I didn't have a good experience with it.  Carboom gels seemed a bit thinner to met.  Since the article I've become a much bigger fan of Hammergel (which is still kind of thick, but I swear by their maltodextrin mixture they are using), and lots of Gu fans around here too.

Oh yeah...and before you use a gel, squish it around a little bit before you open it to even the consistency and avoid any potential settling.

Beginner Article link

Good luck

First off, if you wait until you're feeling depleted, you're not using the gel correctly. Use it before experience has shown you that you get depleted.

I open my gel and kind of "sip" on it over a half mile or so. Another option is Sharkies, which are gummy sharks with electrolytes, carbs, etc. that are easier, for me, to take in than gels and don't get your hands sticky.

Another option would be to take a good, wholesome energy bar and chop it into bite sized pieces and take them as you go. I think Jeff Galloway uses Power Bars.